


MUDDY WATERS

by jkriscancelledyeet



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Arranged Marriage, BAMF Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy is Clueless About Muggle Things, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Everyone Is Alive, F/M, Good Blaise Zabini, Good Draco Malfoy, Good Malfoy Family (Harry Potter), Good Pansy Parkinson, Good Slytherins, Hermione Granger is So Done, Hermione transfers to Slytherin, M/M, Post-Second War with Voldemort, Severus Snape Lives, Sirius Black Lives, Torture, bellatrix apologizes to hermione, hermione also has cool muggle friends, hermione and slytherins become best friends, muggles are awesome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:01:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21857986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jkriscancelledyeet/pseuds/jkriscancelledyeet
Summary: “You know,” she started, “All the bookworm stuff isn’t even me. I— well the real me— hates reading and studying. It’s boring. I’d rather be dancing or training or something. My name isn’t even Hermione Granger, for god’s sake.”When Hermione is forcibly set to marry Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini, she loses her friends and freedom. However, when her muggle world secrets are revealed, a group of Slytherins prove they’re not so bad.Or, The Brightest Witch of Their Age may be a Mudblood, but she’s a damn special one.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy/Blaise Zabini, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy
Comments: 4
Kudos: 72





	MUDDY WATERS

**Author's Note:**

> sorry if this first chapter is kinda rough, this is my first harry potter fanfiction. the characters may seem a bit ooc right now, but they will develop in the next couple of chapters.  
> some background:  
> \- the final battle never happened, but harry defeated voldemort during their fourth year. this takes place in sixth year.  
> \- hermione was held in the manor for a few days and tortured by bellatrix (same as deathly hollows) during her fourth year (before voldemort dies)  
> \- hermione's muggle family (not necessarily her parents) have a deeper, newer backstory in this, and play an important role. it will be explained and woven into the story later.  
> \- i marked this as 5 chapters for now, but this number can change.

MUDDY WATERS

chapter 1

* * *

Hermione Granger knocked on the door Headmaster’s office, shifting her weight nervously. Why did he need to see her a few days before winter break started?

The door opened to reveal Dumbledore. However, he wasn’t alone. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, another pureblood couple, and Professor Snape stood before her.

She immediately reached for her wand, but Dumbledore stopped her, beckoning her into the room. "Do not worry, Miss Granger, you are perfectly safe."

“Is this a trap?” She managed finally, “Am I gonna be dead by the end of this?”

Lucius chuckled from the side and she flinched, drawing her arm inwards a bit. The man seemed to notice, and the amusement seemed to drop from his expression.

“Come, sit, Miss Granger,” Dumbledore told her kindly.

She shook her head slightly. “No offense, professor, but I’d feel safer if I was on my feet.” 

“Fair enough,” Dumbledore gave her a reassuring smile, eyes twinkling. 

She opened her mouth to say something but footsteps cut her off. She looked up to see Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini staring into the room with the same amount of confusion as her.

“What’s going on?” Blaise asked calmly, “Is there something wrong?”

Draco’s eyes drifted from her to his parents and back to her again. She pulled her arm even closer to her chest.

“Everything is fine, darling,” the pureblood woman who looked a lot like Blaise assured. Hermione assumed she was his mother, “Why don’t you three sit?”

The young witch stood still, “As I said before, I’d feel safer standing.”

Blaise shrugged and Draco rolled his eyes. They went to sit down at the chairs in front of Dumbledore’s huge desk.

“The reason you three are here is because of a… proposition,” Dumbledore explained. “As we have seen, post-war, the pureblood society is diminishing.”

“So what?” Hermione asked harshly, “What does that have to do with me?”

Dumbledore looked at Lucius, raising an eyebrow. The man sighed. “My son, Blaise and you, Miss Granger are to get married in one months’ time.”

She leaned forward slightly, jaw-dropping. Draco and Blaise mirrored her expression. “I—No— That’s ridiculous. This is a joke. Please tell me you’re pranking me. You— You guys are death eaters!”

“And she’s a mudblood,” Draco added. “She’s corrupt our line of pureblood lineage.”

“Don’t use that word, Draco,” Narcissa admonished softly, watching as Hermione’s jaw dropped even further.

“Close your mouth, Miss Granger, before you eat flies.” Snape drawled from the side, masking a smirk. This was gold.

“I don’t understand, mother, father.” It was Blaise who spoke calmly and collectively after recovering from the initial shock. “What happened to being against muggles and muggle-borns?”

“It doesn’t matter whether our lines are pure or not, Blaise. The dark lord has fallen.” Mr. Zabini regarded Hermione, “We were all forced to submit to him until this girl defeated him. She saved us.”

“Uhm, noooo,” Hermione laughed nervously. “That was Harry Potter. And Ron. Not me.”

“You helped, didn’t you? Dumbledore tells us that Potter and Weasley wouldn’t have been able to do it without you. We need an heir to the Malfoy and Zabini line, and you are the best fit, despite blood status. You are smart and intelligent. We are..." he paused, "... learning how to treat Muddies better.

“Yeah, no. Nope, nada, no way.” Hermione shook her head frantically, “I’m sorry for whatever problems you all have, but no way am I going to do this. Plus, you literally just called me 'Muddy'. I'm not going to stand for that.”

“You don’t have a choice, Miss Granger.” Lucius raised an eyebrow. He was done playing around with this. “You were recently orphaned, correct?”

Hermione’s expression hardened. They’d hit a sore spot. “That’s none of your business. Leave my family out of this.” 

“Ah, yes, but it is,” he drawled. “If you refuse, someone will forcibly adopt you, and then give you up to the marriage. They’ll have you on a tighter leash, considering you’ll be in that family as well. If you don’t want that, agree with this now. You’ll still have some freedom.

_Some_ freedom.

Some  _ freedom. _

_ Some freedom.  _

Hermione turned to Dumbledore, pleading. “Professor, please, you can’t let this happen! They’re death eaters…”

Dumbledore shook his head sadly. “Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do. They have all been pardoned by the ministry, and restored their power and influence as the pureblood elite."

Draco smirked proudly at that. “Father, I’d also like to protest against this.” He lowered his voice to a sneer, “I don’t want to marry a Mud— Muggleborn.” 

Blaise nodded, "I agree with the marriage part, not the blood status. We're all two young, we're barely halfway through sixth year. I' m only seventeen."

“Do you think we want out bloodline to be tainted either, Draco? I understand that you are young, but it's for the best. We must do things we don’t want to survive,” Narcissa sighed. 

Hermione blanched, “Excuse me?! To survive? I’m fine on my own, I’m the one being forced into this.”

“It won’t be that bad, Miss Granger.” Mrs. Zabini gave her a kind smile, though it looked a bit forced. “Everything will go back to normal, the only thing that will change is your marital status. Your last name and living place are the only things majorly changing.”

“Easy for you to say…” Hermione’s eyes widened. “Wait, I know what will change your mind. I’m— I’m not even British!” Her accent changed immediately, “I’m American. Bet you didn’t know that, huh? My real name isn’t Hermione Granger. Ha! Now you don’t want me in this marriage, and I’ll go.”

The adults exchanged amused glances as Draco and Blaise stared at her confused.

“Nice try, Miss Granger,” Snape smirked. “It doesn’t work that way.”

“But thank you about these new facts about you, we’ll keep them in mind.” Mr. Zabini added, enjoying the way Hermione’s demeanor dropped. 

“Wait,” Draco asked quietly, “Wait, you’re American? You’re not even British?” Hermione turned to glare at him. He groaned, “Father, mother, why must you torture us like this?”

“Next week, when the school ends and winter break starts you will come to the Malfoy Manor where all of us are staying for the marriage preparations. You will be married before the next term starts and winter break ends.”

Hermione frowned slightly, then tried to cover it up as quickly as she could, but Lucius caught it. “Is there something you’d like to say, Miss Granger?”

She blinked again, almost dazed. It was clear everything was catching up to her. “I—I’m only 16. I—I can’t, I can’t get married so early.” Her eyebrows scrunched as she paused. “I have a scholarship. I’m supposed to go to…” she trailed off, expression hardening. “You can’t just— just barge in here and force me into marriage! I refuse.”

“Remember what we said before, Miss Granger. There’s an easy way and a hard way, and you should decide which way you’d like to go. The outcome will be the same in the end. However,” Narcissa grimaced for what she was about to say, “We aren’t bad people. You’ll get to—” she winced again, “— get something in return. One request.”

Hermione narrowed her eyes, “I’m sorry, what?”

“You heard what I said the first time, I will not repeat it again.”

The young witch thought about it for a second before her lips turned upwards slightly. She knew exactly how to get to the purebloods in front of her.

“I will keep my muggle relationships and people and be able to contact and visit them whenever I want. I will also be able to keep my muggle things and use them. You cannot take that part of my life away. I want to be able to talk to my muggle friends whenever I want.”

A long silence followed. 

“Very well.” Mrs. Zabini looked incredibly pained. “You may have your filthy muggle possessions and talk to your friends.”

“I—thanks, I guess.” She smirked to herself, “Maybe I should pack a gun…”

“What was that?”

“Hmm? Oh, nothing.” 

"In addition,” Professor Snape added, gauging her reaction, “You will be moved to the Slytherin dormitories. Your in-laws are fine with you staying in the Gryffindor house, however, you must live with your husbands.”

All three youth flinched at the casual use of husbands, Hermione especially.

“Pack your stuff today, you’ll be moved tonight.”

She turned stricken, eyes darting back and forth between everyone as they gave her smug glances. She turned back to Dumbledore, praying he'd help her, only to see him shaking his head at her apologetically in the corner of the large office.

Lucius produced a parchment from his robe pocket. “I will remind you that you don’t have a choice. Sign here.” He held out a quill, waiting for the girl to take it.

She didn’t move.

“Take the quill, Miss Granger,” Mr. Zabini snapped, “or there will be consequences.”

She took the quill from his hand shakily and felt her eyes welling up with tears.

_ This was really happening. _

“Thank you,” Narcissa told her after she’d signed. “You now belong to the Malfoy and Zabini family.” There was an edge of taunting in her tone.

She couldn’t see everyone— except Draco and Blaise’s— smug grins through her watery, blurry eyes.

_ She just signed her life over. She belonged to them now. _

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> hope you liked the first chapter, leave a comment and kudo <3


End file.
